'Kissing or licking a microphone' is now considered sexual according to Twitch

(Image credit: Ink Drop / Shutterstock)

Twitch has just announced new content classification labels in an aim to help streamers find better ways to classify their content - in particular, mature content.

The new content classification will mean that viewers can "make more informed choices" when browsing Twitch. The new labels are replacing the current mature content toggle which was previously applied or removed at any point in a broadcast.

The FAQ section of the classification goes into more detail about what is specifically classified as 'sexual' and what features need a label applied. "Many ASMR practices are focused on mindfulness and are not sexual, but we consider kissing or licking a microphone to fall within Sexual Themes." Just in case anyone was wondering.

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Twitch stressed that it is "not making a change to its Community Guidelines with this update". While streamers will receive a warning via email if they apply the incorrect label to their stream, "streamers will not receive suspensions for failing to accurately label their streams".

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The new labels include the following:

Mature-Rated Games
Sexual Themes
Drugs, Intoxication, or Excessive Tobacco Use
Violent and Graphic Depictions
Significant Profanity or Vulgarity
Gambling

The new labels will "help protect younger viewers and advertisers", Twitch said. "Content labeling has become a common practice across the media and entertainment industry, both from a safety perspective and to provide important information that helps advertisers better target the content their ads appear alongside."

It's easy to incorporate the new labels into the existing go-live flow with the "Edit Stream Info" model in Stream Manager. You can use these labels in the same way that tags were, adding or removing them throughout the stream to the relevant segments. However, it's important to remember that any labels still applied once a stream ends will be carried over to the next stream unless manually removed.

Before you can add the new classification labels make sure you know how to stream on Twitch with our handy guide.

Elie is a Features Writer for TechRadar Gaming, here to write about anything new or slightly weird. Before writing for TRG, Elie studied for a Masters at Cardiff University JOMEC in International Journalism and Documentaries – spending their free time filming short docs or editing the gaming section for their student publications.

Elie’s first step into gaming was through Pokémon but they've taken the natural next step in the horror genre. Any and every game that would keep you up at night is on their list to play - despite the fact that one of Elie’s biggest fears is being chased.